Key to a Forgotten Past
Disclaimer: I do not own any of Fruits Basket's plot or characters… only the insane plot that you are reading right now.
Chapter 5: A Warm Welcome
Tohru knocked hurriedly against the sliding door, its light-colored panels vibrating gently under the soft thrum that emitted as her hand knocked against it. Tohru began to hear the soft sound of footsteps approaching from beyond the entrance of the house, gradually increasing in volume, as she pressed her ear against the door to listen. Once the sound of footsteps came to a complete halt, the sliding door slid ajar with almost the greatest of ease and swiftness, startling Tohru, who had been leaning against it only moments before to hear their owner's approach, and causing her to fall backward onto the floor.
As it did this, out was revealed a medium-brown-haired woman with a rather petite frame (although not as much so as Tohru's), appearing to be in her early forties, flashing a welcoming grin in Tohru's direction. Beneath that smile, however, Tohru could see how fatigued and worn the woman seemed, the beginnings of small dark circles shadowing her eyes and cheeks hollowed slightly. Over her ankle length dress, which had been colored with a checker pattern of light shades of pink and purple, she wore a simple, pure white apron, giving her the impression of having been cooking only moments before.
She welcomingly waved towards Tohru, as she greeted kindly, "Hello there! You must be Honda-san, correct?"
Tohru answered, her heart still racing from the fall, as she brought herself back to full height once more, "Yes! That's right. And I assume you must be Sohma-san… It is a pleasure to be meeting you! And I apologize greatly for being so late…"
"…Oh no, dear, not at all! And there's no need to call me Sohma-san. There are too many of us Sohmas that you would do best to just address me by my first name. That aside, I am just happy that you could find your way at all… the Sohma compound is very much a maze for those outside of the family… and even some inside, as well. But anyway, what are we achieving by standing here, by the front door, chatting away? Here, I'll lead you to the kitchen…" Satsuki gestured her towards the inside, as Tohru slid through the paneled door, onto the traditional tatami mats that surfaced the floor below her.
Tohru responded, as they made their way down the hallway, "Ah… okay then, Satsuki-san… Well, you know… I received some help, so… it made the trip much easier. Anyway, thank you again for allowing me to speak with you about Hinata-san. I was so worried…"
Satsuki led Tohru around the corner and through the kitchen door. She offered a chair to the young woman, urging her, "Here, you should sit and rest… The walk must have been a difficult one, and you do seem quite tired. I'll pour some iced tea for you, and we'll sit and discuss while lunch is being made."
"Oh… Thank you! How wonderful of you to do such a thing…" Tohru replied uneasily, guilt crossing her expression, as she had not brought any of her own cooking to share in exchange for the hospitality provided by this generous hostess.
"You are very welcome!" Satsuki poured some iced tea into two tall glasses, upon the kitchen counter. Holding the two glasses gingerly in her outstretched hands, she returned to her seat, passing one of the glasses to Tohru as she began to sip her own. She continued, "Now, while we wait for lunch to finish, we can discuss about Hinata-chan…"
"Oh yes!" Tohru said, scrambling to get back on topic as she pulled out a set of manila folders from her bag. "How has Hinata-san been doing…? Has her condition improved any further? When I found out of her illness, I felt so concerned… I just really hope she's doing well…"
Satsuki laughed lightheartedly. "She's certainly been doing much better. Thankfully, we began to treat her pneumonia right away, so the case did not worsen beyond our control… She's even begun causing mischief again… so we know she's doing a lot better. Plus, Hiro-chan's still on break from his studies at the University, so he's been a huge help taking care of her as well, while their father is away on a business trip."
Tohru recalled the voice of the boy she had talked to over the phone only the previous day. "Hiro… san? Is that the name of your son?"
Satsuki nodded in agreement. "Yes… That's my son. He's simply the sweetest older brother a girl could have… and you seem to be a very caring, wonderful teacher, yourself, although you haven't even met her yet! Hinata-chan is very lucky to have so many kind people concerned about her."
Tohru smiled, blushing slightly from the compliment. "Umm… surely not…. I'm not… that good of a teacher…. I…." She trailed off, at a loss of words. Finally, she chimed in again, "…she truly is!" Passing one of the thin, manila folders Satsuki's way, she continued, "Here are the assignments that Hinata-san is missing so far, just a few worksheets on basic multiplication and some short reading assignments… There aren't many, but tell her to take her time on them, and wait until she feels completely ready to work on them. I don't want her to have to push herself to get the work done!"
"Thank you!" Satsuki replied, taking the folder from Tohru's hand. "I'll give these to her right away… I'll make sure that she works on the make up work as soon as she is able to. In fact, since she's been improving pretty quickly, we've been thinking that she might be able to return to school sometime soon… Maybe even next--" Suddenly, a large crash resounded from within the hallway, followed by a stream of high pitched giggling and the sound of running footsteps coming closer and closer towards the kitchen.
With a scheming expression visible through her eyes, a small girl with inquisitive dark brown eyes and light brown hair put up into two bouncy pigtails raced into the room. Within her small hands, there lay a large textbook, which seemed to be almost half of her size, as she clutched it tightly towards her, refusing to let go.
Following her, a tall boy that seemed to be in his late teens or whereabouts, with eye and hair color much resembling that of the little girl, rattled off a hurl of insults, as he yelled angrily at her, "YOU LITTLE BRAT! COME BACK HERE WITH KISA'S TEXTBOOK! YOU'LL DAMAGE IT IF YOU FLING IT INTO WALLS LIKE THAT!"
The little girl, whom Tohru guessed as being Hinata, responded with an adorable giggle, as she utilized her innocent cuteness against her older brother to his unfortunate disadvantage. She replied sweetly, yet weakly (clearly, she was still pretty ill), "Hinata-chan thinks that Onii-san should be a lot nicer to her, being that her head is starting to hurt from all of his yelling… She also says that she'll give Kisa-neechan's book back if he lets her play his video games!"
Her older brother, Hiro, cast a murderous look her way, which began to soften into a look of concern. He replied in an annoyed, yet more calmed tone of voice, "Oh, fine then… I'll let you play some of the games. Just try to be more careful with other people's stuff next time, okay?"
Hinata's answered disappointedly, "Yeah…. She will…" Immediately, her eyes widened with excitement, as she considered the video games she would be getting to play. "Yay! Yay! VIDEO GAMES!" The child immediately began to imitate a person shooting things with her hands, giggling sweetly as she did so. "Boooom! Baaaang! Paaaaa…. Hinata-chan's so happy! Can she go now…? Can she go now!"
Hiro responded impatiently, "No, wait a second…" His eyes darted briefly towards where Tohru was seated, and he turned to face his mom. "Mother… who's that supposed to be?"
However, it was not his mother, but Tohru that answered, with a rushed and nervous tone of voice, "Ummm… P-p-pleased to meet you… M-my name is… Honda Tohru…" Have I done anything to offend him or any of them? I don't think I have… but he seems pretty irritated…
Satsuki chimed in, with a bright smile on her face, "…Honda-san is Hinata-chan's teacher this year! She is so excited to be teaching her… So, what do you think, Hinata-chan? Do you like your new teacher, this year?"
Clearly, however, the child's mind was far off somewhere else. Instead of replying to her mother's question, she turned to her brother and whined pitifully, "Video games! Hinata-chan wants to play video games. Can't they babble later?"
Hiro admonished her coldly, "Oh my gosh, Hinata-chan… how many times to I have to tell you not to be so rude like that? No… we're going to play video games right now, but after that…" Whatever he said after that, Tohru would certainly not know. For he exited the room, still bickering with his little sister
Satsuki laughed contently, once again returning to the kitchen counter, where she began to busily chop up vegetables for the western-style salad she was preparing to make. She said with much levity, "Those two! Of course, Hiro-chan's probably so impatient because Sacchan's over studying today, and doesn't want to be disturbed. It would be pretty unusual for him to let Hinata-chan play his video games, otherwise… but I suppose he wants to get her to stop annoying him, so…" Her voice trailed off in her deep thought, but suddenly regained strength once more, "But, lunch will be ready very soon, anyway… So I do hope that they won't take too long with those games, because if not, then lunch will already be ready…" Satsuki bit her lip in concern, as she examined the cookbook for the next ingredient she would need. Her hands fumbled slightly over the carrots she was holding, and they dropped to the floor. She whimpered quietly, "Oh… no… that's not good… Now I'll have to rewash these again..." She sighed, as she took the carrots from the floor and approached the sink, running them under the faucet as a stream of cool flowed upon them.
As she watched Satsuki stumble her way through lunch preparations, Tohru asked rising from her seat at the table, "Um… Satsuki-san? Would it be okay if I helped you with something? Is there anything that I could do to assist you?"
Satsuki replied, looking quizzically at the girl, although taken aback that a guest would be so kind, "Ah…. Yes! If you would please put that lettuce over there inside this bowl, that would help a lot… And there are those vegetables as well. If we both cut vegetables, then lunch will be finished in twice the time! Thank you so much for offering to help." She beamed at Tohru, gesturing towards the fresh vegetables piled upon the counter.
"Oh! That's not a problem! I'm very happy to help! After all, cooking is something that I happen to enjoy very much. Now let's see…. Where is that lettuce…" Tohru began to chop up vegetables as well, laying them out neatly over the counter and making even cuts in each. Content to find that she had been of some use, she worked patiently and diligently, as she chatted idly with Satsuki. Before they knew it, they had finished the salad and the sandwiches that they had been making, and were ready to eat. As Satsuki exited out of the kitchen to call the others for lunch, Tohru set the table with great care, being sure to put every utensil and other piece of tableware in its proper place.
A few minutes later, the door went ajar once more. Through it came a smiling Hinata accompanied by Hiro and a disgruntled Hinata (perhaps unwillingly pulled away from her beloved video games only moments before). In addition, another young girl that Tohru knew not followed, with peculiar orange-gold hair framing her pale face and beautiful golden eyes twinkling with gleaming radiance. She could not have been much older than Hiro, Tohru figured as she watched the stranger enter the room, wondering who she could be.
Tohru asked the girl cheerfully, as they all seated themselves down at the table, "Ah! And what's your name?"
The orange haired girl replied shyly, apparently very preoccupied by playing with the clothing folds of her pleated skirt, "Um… that is… My name is… Sohma Kisa. I'm very happy to meet you." Kisa smiled, looking forward at the young woman that sat before her. She had no idea why, but somehow, she seemed very familiar… almost like someone she knew long ago… But, no… it couldn't be… could it?
Tohru replied sweetly, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kisa-san!" She smiled politely, as she took the salad bowl and served herself a small portion of its contents.
Hiro poured himself some lemonade, staring suspiciously at her. There was something about her that really seemed to bug him – a certain airiness in her demeanor that just made him want to scream out in utter annoyance. She almost seemed to remind him of somebody… That stupid smile (always so irritatingly cheerful no matter what), that spacey-ness, that inability to speak up for her own benefit… She even had the appearance of somebody he had loathed so many years ago. But… No, that's not right… That annoying stupid woman disappeared ages ago… it's probably just a coincidence… Sure, it could be a coincidence, but a very odd one at that. Even her name sounded similar. Although he could be mistaken, he lingered over the topic for a moments' while.
After sipping the juice briefly, Hiro suddenly put his glass down on the table. Sharply glaring at Tohru, he finally inquired, "Wait a moment…. What did you say your name was again?"
Tohru stared blankly at him. But… I already told him my name… maybe he forgets easily? Taken aback, she replied, "My name? Ah… Honda Tohru… but why do you ask?" However, no answer escaped from the others. A blanket of solitude swept the room, and a reaction to this reply came not from Hiro, but the young girl that sat beside him. She let out a soft gasp, her glimmering golden eyes gaping in utter shock, as she attempted to examine Tohru more clearly, as if trying to be sure that some assumption of hers was correct. In fact, the girl's voice quavering in disbelief, Tohru could have sworn that, for a moment, she heard Kisa wistfully cry out, in the smallest of whispers, "O-onee… chan…?" Hiro seemed to wear a quizzical look on his face, as he, too, gaped at Tohru.
Tohru's mind raced, as the room's atmosphere loomed over her with a new, silent, unwelcome heaviness. There was something very wrong with all of this… Though she knew it not, she felt the warnings, the signs… Even now, she felt something was on the verge of breaking in the depths of her heart – a feeling that she could not put into words.
This solemnity was only broken by a small cough emitted from Hinata, who promptly complained that she wasn't feeling so well. She promptly exited the room, leaving the majority of her lunch behind. Soon after, Hiro and Kisa stood up and left the kitchen as well, still speechless with the only exception being a brief murmur of thanks from Hiro. Once the door was shut and all but Tohru and Satsuki had left, Satsuki noted Tohru's vacant, distracted expression, saying with concern in her voice, "Honda-san…? Is something wrong? You seem to be acting quite oddly…"
At Satsuki's words, Tohru snapped back into reality once more. Shaking her head hastily, she replied, "Oh… it's nothing… I just thought I had met somebody… sometime previously… Oh, nevermind. It's nothing, I must have been mistaken."
Satsuki stared back at Tohru, still slightly bewildered. She answered, twisting her mouth back into a cheerful grin, "Oh… okay then! You know… Sacchan did seem so happy to see you for some reason. It's funny… in the past, she always had trouble bringing herself to talk to others, and yet… she speaks so openly to a complete stranger like yourself."
Tohru's eyes widened. "Oh really? I was wondering… I assume she is Hiro's friend, then, right?"
Satsuki smiled, her gaze shifting to the floor below her as she spoke, "Yes. They have been best friends for the longest time… Sacchan and Hiro-chan… it was almost inevitable… that their friendship would evolve into something more than that… but…" Her voice trailed off, as if recounting something very painful in her memory. She looked up once more. "In any case, it is very difficult for some of us Sohmas to make friends outside the family… and sometimes even within its limits, as well… but… don't worry, it's nothing… Really, it's getting late now, and you should probably be leaving about now, anyway." She still had this saddened look about her, as she stood up and began to lead Tohru to the door.
"But—!"
"Really, you should get going… if not, you might find it difficult to navigate through the main house when it gets dark. Here are your papers and your bag…" She handed a black briefcase and a paper-filled manila folder back to Tohru, as they approached the front door.
Tohru forced a smile in her reply. "Well… um… thank you for your generosity, and allowing me to impose on your hospitality like this. I simply cannot wait to see Hinata-san back in school once more!"
Satsuki responded, "How very sweet!" Opening the front door slowly, she briefly told Tohru, "Well, always remember, if you ever happen to need anything… do not hesitate to ask. I would be pleased to help you in any way I can, after you so kindly helped Hinata." Tohru saw her wave contently, fading into the distance as Tohru proceeded farther and farther away from the house. I'm so grateful… so very grateful… for those wonderful, warm people who care so much.
As she walked farther down the pathway, however, the atmosphere still weighed down on her heart. The Sohmas… somehow, there was a sort of mystery behind that name. And what Satsuki had said… about some Sohmas' difficulty in making friends… it was all sad really. But somehow, all of this felt familiar… She had known all of this before… but when? Where?
At the very edge of the estate, right as Tohru was about to escape from the dreadful area for good, she came by an ancient, moss-ridden building, strikingly contrasting with the glorious splendor of its neighboring fellows. It had been left to ruin by the ages, obviously not having been taken care of for many years. In her curiosity, Tohru approached the building, wondering whether or not it was actually inhabited by somebody.
When she reached just beyond the small window of the building, however, she came to an immediate halt, for that very moment, a horrible, empty sorrow had overcome her. Almost in a heartbeat, the fleeting image of a nameless boy with bright orange hair flashed before her eyes, looking down at the floor with a pleading helplessness in his red eyes.
Who—who are you? Why are you here? Tohru questioned the boy in her thoughts. Although she received no answer, a single word crossed her mind – a dreadful word that would shatter her once peaceful existence forevermore.
"Imprisoned."
Tohru gazed ahead of her, as reality came into view once more. The building cast its tall shadow over her, looming ominously from above. She had to get out of here right away. However, as she began to dash away from the building, she felt an uncomfortable tug in her long brown hair. She realized with horror that one of the magenta-colored ribbons holding up her hair had become caught on the branch of a tall shrub sitting beside the barred window of the building. Unwilling to turn back and retrieve it, Tohru continued onwards, until the small building was well into the distance and the pink ribbon was but a speck of color in a sea of shadows.
However, as she looked out into the road beyond her now, Tohru knew that this was by no means the end… but the beginning. For, as she looked back on all the strange experiences that she had faced that day, she knew it would be a long time until she finally returned back to the place her heart truly could call "home".
Neko's Rambling Corner Part 6:I'm sorry it took so long for me to update! This chapter was a lot harder to write than the previous ones, not to mention, it (obviously) was LONG, and I've had very little time to write lately. Anyway, in any other case, the way I portray Hinata reminds me a bit of Kimi, in personality, now that I think about it… (Only, she's way younger, so she doesn't have the flirtatious nature that Kimi possesses.) If you didn't notice, she's obsessed with Hiro's extremely violent video games, which Hiro very rarely lets her play (with good reason). Poor Hiro, LOL… Anyway, I'm sorry, but I had to be evil and end with a cliffhanger so… Mwehehehehe… Fear my cliff-hanger-ish power! I also apologize if some of this chapter seemed a bit rushed. I had to cover a lot of things in it to keep the flow of the story going, yet without making things drag on too much (because Neko hates doing that).
Starting next chapter, I'm going to be answering some questions that have come up in reviews in the rambling corner, because I feel like it, so… heck why not? Hopefully, it'll help you guys understand things a bit better. –smile-
Next chapter's preview: Within a shadowy corner of the neko room, only a single beam of light penetrates the darkness. A pink ribbon comes into view beyond the window, bringing with it memories of a past that has long but been forgotten…
(Note: Next chapter, I might be changing the rating to Teen, because next chapter and onwards, the storyline is going to become darker and more intense, and some mild language (which I'd rather tend to avoid… but when you are using Kyou in your fic, it's pretty difficult….). Because of this, I really have to be careful with the rating, so I might end upchoosing a higher rating to play it safe… I hope nobody minds!)
